As the first entry in a three-volume series, it focuses exclusively on the sensory and physiological "building blocks" of depth perception, moving from historical discovery to the latest in neural plasticity.
Howard details historical display systems like panoramas, peepshows, and the invention of the stereoscope, which first allowed humans to artificially simulate depth. Perceiving in Depth Volume 1 Basic Mechanisms
The book emphasizes "experience-dependent" neural plasticity—the idea that the brain's visual circuits must be "tuned" by environmental stimuli during early development to function correctly. As the first entry in a three-volume series,
Howard explores how the brain translates raw light signals into meaningful geometric representations of space. Howard explores how the brain translates raw light
A detailed analysis covers how disruptions during these critical periods—such as strabismus (crossed eyes) or monocular deprivation—can lead to permanent defects like amblyopia (lazy eye) or a total loss of stereoscopic vision.